Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-13
THE SPECTRAL HoRsEMAN.
A Weird Adventure Recorded by an Army
Lieutenant.

Along the western bank of the Mis-
souri, River, on the road leading be-
tween the military posts of Fort Abra-
ham Lincoln and Fort Yates, is a phan-
tom which appears to certain travellers
whenever they make the trip over what
they are pleased to call the .'hoodooed
road" The route is one of long stand
ing, having been established by the
Indians long before the whites invaded
the country, and now it IS an important
road for travel
The phantom which has appeared to
several prominent citizens was last seen
by Lieut.. Brennan of Fort Yates. He
was en- route from Yates to this city, and
while driving along at a point near the
Cannon Ball Station he saw a man
coming behind him on horseback. At
first he paid little attention to the OBJ
ject. The moon was shining brightly
and there was no reason for him TO be
mistaken in what he saw. After travel
ing about a mile with the horseman
keeping about a quarter of mile be-
hind him, he stopped to await the ar
rival OF the stranger that he might as
certain who it was that followed him,
and break the monotony of his trip with
the conversation of a travelling compan-
ion. Upon looking back he discovered
that the horseman was dressed in
pure white uniform and was riding a
spotless white horse
The elegant style, the graceful mo-
ton of the horse, and the noiseless step
with which the animal was galloping
down the road, aroused the Lieutenant's
curiosity, and he waited and listened
several minutes for the arrival of the
stranger. His suspicion that every
thing was not right was awakened
when the horseman failed TO answer
his call. Several times he called, but
no answer came from tho white-rohed
equestrian, and having given the silent
traveller ample time 10 oyertake him. he
drove on. What first occasioned alarm
in the Lieutenant's mind was the fact
that while the strange white horse con-
tinued in galloping motion after he
(the LieutenanD stopped, the distance
between them was not shortened.
Whistling lively air and occasion
ally breaking in with CHEEKY army
song, to drive away the blues, the
Lieutenant drove on, frequently casting
his eyes over his shoulder to see if the
horseman was coming, and always
finding that his pursuer or follower was
keeping his distance with remarkable
accuracy. Wearying of this monoton-
GUS procedure, and wishing to gain
good lead on the lulky fellow-traveler
before he reached the loneliest spot in
the road, which he was now approach
ing, he applied the whip and started
his speedy team on the run. On he
went alta furious rate for several miles,
when. just as he was descending the
hill into Lonely Coulee, he looked back,
aud there was the white horseman
within few rods of him coming like
the wind, but with the noseless grace
Of a zephyr. The Lieutenant was now
pretty thoroughly frightened, and he
used the whip more vehemently than
ever. Down the hill his army ambul-
ance roared and ratified, and his ami
mails took the bits for a genuine run
away. With crash and bound and
fearful speed the ambulance was
snatched down the hill, around sharp
curves, and over the rckety bridge
which spanned the murmuring creek.
Here the Leutenant's description of the
scene was thrilling and poetic. The
moonlight on the ripping surface of
the creek formed weird fantastic
shapes. and as his nerves were strung
to the most sensitive pitch, the eye of
his Imagination saw COLLINS and fairies
and witches dancing about on the
sparkling stream, whose every gurge
was Il knocking taunt from the strange,
unwelcomc children of his feverish
brain
But here is where the climax of his
fear and horror was reached. As the
pale horSeman drove down tire hill like
a meteor and while the Lieutenant was
crossing the bridge at as great speed
as his spirited animals could attain, the
ghostly phantom passed him. Now, for
the first time, did the appartion make
n noise, but it 'made UP for lost time"
in this respect, as the Lieutenant says
that here the noise was deafening. As
the phantom came down the hill after
him it seemed that a thousand horses
were galloping down n wooden pave
ment. and when it struck the bridge
the uproar was like the rattle of thou
sand wheels. On the center of the
bridge the snowy horse and rider swept
by him like II flash. and the air was
filled with shrill demoniac laughter.
On it went, the dazed and awe-stricken
Lieutenant watching it as it vanished
from view.
This is an experience of one of the
bravest officers at Fort Yates, and the
same apparition appeared on this road
several wears 400 TO Alexander McKinZie
sheriff Of this county, and the most
widely-known citizen of the territory.
In the case of Mr.. McKinzie the exper-
fence was very different as he reached
his destination shortly after the appear
ance of the phantom, which was going in
an opposite direction, and which pass
ed him near the Cannon Ball. BIS
marc6 Letter IN 50. Louis Globe Demo-
crdt.
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